By Hassan Osman Kargbo
One of the renounced communities in the ongoing Central One Football Association Community League, Bambara Tong Community has expressed their dissatisfaction towards what they called bad officiating in the league.
According to a press release from Bambara Tong Community, they are deeply disappointed concerning what they called bias and disgraceful officiating that occurred their match against the Fourah Bay Community held on 12TH SEPTEMBER 2024 at the PARADE GROUNDS.
It stated that The integrity of their community sports is paramount, and the events that transpired during that match had undermined the spirit of fair play and sportsmanship that they hold dearly.
It further noted that throughout the match, it was evident that the referee was not impartial. Numerous questionable calls were made against the Bambara Tong Community team, while similar infractions by the opposing team were overlooked by the ref.
It adding that The inconsistent application of the rules not only affected the outcome of the game but also demoralized their community, players and supporters.
They said they believed that every team deserves a fair and unbiased opportunity to compete. The actions of the officiating team on that day HAVE CAST A SHADOW OVER WHAT should have been a celebration of community and athleticism.
They called upon the CENTRAL ONE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (COFA) to conduct a thorough investigation into the officiating of the said match and to take appropriate measures to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
They said their community stands united in demanding fairness and integrity in all sporting events and they hope that this statement will prompt necessary changes and restore faith in the officiating process in the country.
They encouraged members of their community and supporters to continue to stay calm and follow the due process, and they called on the organizers look into the behaviour of the referee coordinator at COFA for the interest of the game.
